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CJF Jackman Award for Excellence in Journalism

The Canadian Press is the winner of the 2017 CJF Jackman Award for Excellence in Journalism in the large media category. Accepting the award (from left to right) at the CJF Awards in Toronto: Heather Scoffield, Ottawa bureau chief; Andrea Baillie, managing editor; Kristy Kirkup, national affairs reporter; and Sheryl Ubelacker, health reporter. View the acceptance speeches. The London Free Press won the award in the small-media category. Reporter Randy Richmond (not pictured) accepted the award. View the acceptance speech.

ACCOUNTABILITY. DIVERSITY. COURAGE. INDEPENDENCE.

HAVE YOU MADE A DIFFERENCE? SHARE THE GOOD NEWS

About the CJF Jackman Award for Excellence in Journalism

The CJF Jackman Award for Excellence in Journalism honours a Canadian organization that embodies exemplary journalism with a resulting impact on the community it serves.

Since 1996, the CJF has celebrated news organizations that embrace ideals of journalistic excellence – accuracy, independence, accountability, courage and originality – with this annual award. Winners, since 2007, are selected in two categories: large media and small media.

Applicants can enter in one of two categories:
- Large media organization (more than 50 full-time employees)
- Small media organization (50 full-time employees or less)

The category is determined by the size of an organization's staff for reporting, production, technical and presentation support and the staff they can draw upon within any larger organization of which they are a part. Entrants must indicate which of these two categories they represent. There is a $200 application fee for large media organizations and a $100 application fee for small media organizations. Please note that student media are not eligible for this award.

Only material published or broadcast in the previous calendar year may be submitted. Only one entry will be accepted from a single Canadian print media outlet, news broadcast program or online news organization. Entries may have up to three individual items on a common theme. They can include: articles, editorials, blogs, photographs, cartoons, videos, radio broadcasts, interactive graphics, and multimedia projects.

In addition to a brief synopsis of the work submitted, the following questions are to be addressed (with the weight of each question provided):

Detail the resources in time and numbers dedicated to the work submitted, compared to the overall resources of the news organization. Describe the extent of work that went into the production of the story or series. 30%

Explain why your news organization selected this topic. 10%

Describe with supporting evidence the distinctiveness of the story (e.g. impact of the story/stories, specific communities affected, exceptional resourcefulness demonstrated by an individual reporter or reporters in a breaking news event, innovative technologies used to deliver the story). 30%

From this list of standards for excellence in journalism, select up to three that are most applicable to your submission and explain why you selected each of them: Originality, Courage, Independence, Accuracy, Social Responsibility, Accountability, Diversity. 30%

Judging
In evaluating each qualifying entry, judges will consider:
• Quality of writing/storytelling
• Clarity of work submitted
• Stated impact on community

The finalists will be announced in April. The recipient is determined by a jury and will be announced at the CJF Awards held in Toronto on June 14, 2017.

OPENING IN JANUARY

Please contact CJF executive director Natalie Turvey should you have any questions.

About Us

Since 1990, The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) has been working to preserve, provoke, and enhance excellence in journalism. The CJF has been dedicated to acting as a catalyst for open and honest dialogue – helping to improve relationships between and understanding of the media and the private and public organizations that are often the focus of media and public attention. It is a pivotal distinction that sets The Canadian Journalism Foundation apart.